Digital signage screens are exciting to have in a restaurant, but if they lack content that is fresh and relevant, even the largest digital signs and menu boards will fail to attract and engage customers, Wendy's exec says.

Digital Signage in the Retail Environment

Digital signage is a powerful tool for retailers, but navigating the vast array of information to choose the right system can feel daunting. This guide, sponsored by NEC Display Solutions, discusses the basics of successfully deploying digital signage, learn how to:

Chapter 4 Measuring the resultsMaking a good impressionPlaylists, loops and layers

People who have dedicated themselves to a physical fitness program know exactly how hard it can be to determine the right steps to take. Once someone has decided to get in shape, she heads to the bookstore or the library, and once there, is confronted with dozens of experts telling her exactly how she needs to reinvent herself. Of course, no two of those plans are identical.

Retailers deploying digital signage might find themselves facing a similar overload of information. A lot of strategies are available for planning and deploying retail digital signage, and while most of them have similar intent and overall themes, they differ in the specifics. They differ in how they weigh the importance of each aspect. They differ in timing, in syntax, in tone.

And while some diet and fitness plans are best avoided, if one is chosen intelligently and followed faithfully, success will follow. There is no one correct program. So too with digital signage deployment plans, one of which is outlined in this guide. It’s not the only way to do it, but it is one way to do it, and it will work if the deployer is committed to it.

Our plan, developed in conjunction with our sponsor, NEC Display Solutions, takes a five-tiered approach to digital signage. Each of the five strategies — content, placement, dwell, dayparting and call to action — represents a manageable chunk of information and decision making. Put together, they create a holistic strategy that can be managed with relative ease.

Those who follow the plan also will have confidence that their decisions are sound, and that they are based on sound choices that are right for their company.

As with dieting, what matters is not so much how it’s done but rather that it’s done at all. Retail digital signage is similar. It’s worth doing and it will reap big rewards in the long haul.

We wish you all the best with your endeavors. And a special thank you to NEC for making this guide possible and enabling